Like a Bird Through the Night
by RedRobinHood817
Summary: BirdFlash sequel to Auld Acquaintance: Wally is bummed that kissing Artemis didn't seem to woo the little bird he really wanted to kiss. However, drinking too much liquid painkiller results in liquid courage, and a very late night knock on his closest friend's bedroom door... Hints of a Chandelier songfic


_**Like a Bird Through the Night**_

Wally West always needed more.

This was true more often than Wally cared to admit, but all to frequently (and much to his chagrin), Wally craved more of things than anyone else. It stemmed from his incredible speed, and the coinciding rate of his metabolism. As a result, Wally needed more food, more water, more trips to the restroom, even more "me time."

This meant that tonight Wally also would need more alcohol. A lot more.

 _1…2…3…1…2…3…drink_

Wally had been so excited for New Years. And he had known for months exactly to whom he wanted to give his first kiss of the year. Contrary to what the rest of the team thought, it wasn't Artemis. It wasn't even M'gann.

It was Robin.

Robin and Kid Flash had known each other for years; Dick Grayson and Wally West had known each other nearly as long. He remembered the very first time they'd met, as kids. Seven-year-old Dick had stayed up several hours past Batman's strict curfew with a squirt gun just to prove to ten-year-old Wally that "speed isn't always enough to save you," complete with his signature cocky smirk.

In the years since, Dick had become Wally's closest friend, and Wally was almost certain he was Dick's _only_ friend, and only true confidant with whom he had entrusted his secret identity. Wally could remember the moment well.

Two years ago, the two had been on a side quest to catch a thief in an old run-down part of Gotham, and Robin had suddenly frozen when they past a crumbling old theater destined for demolition. When Wally backtracked to ask what had happened, he saw the poster of _The Flying Graysons!_ on the wall. Then he saw the most heart-wrenching moment of his young life: one single tear slide down Robin's face.

"Rob, what's goin' on?" He was starting to put the pieces together. He was quite familiar with Robin's impossible acrobatic skills, and he could see there must be a connection with the famous Flying Graysons, but he just could place it exactly…

That was when Robin took off his mask.

"Dick. Dick Grayson."

Robin nodded. The agony in his unimaginably blue eyes made Wally think he didn't even trust his own voice. That was a first. Robin was an expert at compartmentalizing and hiding his emotions, making him nearly as cold and stoic as Batman when he worked.

But this was not Robin. This was Dick. The rich young loner at school, the famed adopted son of Bruce Wayne. The boy who was now on the verge of tears faced with the tragic memory of his parents.

But before he had even finished taking down his mask, Robin replaced it, hiding the boy, the memories, and the tear. To this day, it was the only tear Wally had ever seen Robin allow to fall.

That night, at nearly three in the morning, Wally heard a knock on his door. On the other side stood Dick Grayson, unmasked save for a pair of dark tinted sunglasses. Wally hadn't said anything, merely gestured towards the bed and sat down. What happened after was one of Wally's fondest memories: the night Dick Grayson had told him everything. What happened to his parents, how he came to be adopted by Bruce Wayne, and how Batman had found him and trained him (Robin didn't confess that they were one and the same. He had no idea Wally was able to put the pieces together to discover this long ago; Wally had never had the heart to tell him when every hint he gave was met with fear and frustration).

All of these memories had built an unrivaled and enviable friendship between the two young heroes, but it wasn't until recently that Wally had begun to realize just how much his friend meant to him.

True, all the fighting had started everything. Watching Dick get hurt, seeing the terror in his eyes when he _himself_ was hurt, realizing more than a few times that he had jeopardized the mission just to protect his friend, and how very sad he was the few times he'd failed. But, shamefully, none of this had hit him as hard as the first time the group went to the beach.

 _Here comes the shame…here comes the shame_

Wally still cringed at the memory. He had walked out of the zeta-beam, surfboard and sunscreen in hand, only to be met by a very excited and very shirtless Robin. To make matters even worse, the first words he heard were "You ready for this, Kid Flash?!" followed that signature smirk, a tilt of sunglasses revealing bright and mischievous blue eyes, and an almost whispered, "Wally?"

Wally had frozen on the spot, enamored with Dick's boldness and subtle allusion to the secret they shared. It was the only time Wally ever remembered being completely speechless.

It wasn't the only time Wally had felt an unfightable pull towards Dick. The game night the two of them had with Roy and Connor had so distracted Kid Flash that Superboy—yes, Superboy, the one-year-old clone of an alien who had never in his life played Injustice: Gods Among Us—was able to defeat him! He couldn't help it: every time Robin would hang upside down off the couch while he played, his shirt would slide down just enough to reveal his two lower abs and the slight V at the bottom of his torso. Wally had to keep stuffing his face with water or popcorn just to keep from drooling when he caught himself staring too long.

 _Keep my glass full until morning light…_

So now here he was: Wally West, sitting on his bed, after having just kissed the girl he'd been flirting with for ages, crying as quietly as he could drinking the scotch he knew his uncle always kept around for celebrations. He was grateful Barry had the same metabolism struggles and thus kept the supply of his favorite scotch in quite full.

 _Throw 'em back 'til I lose count…_

What had he done to get himself in such a situation? How was it possible that he, Kid Flash, _Kid Flirt_ of the Young Justice League had fallen so completely for his partner? His best friend, his _male_ friend?! When did the tiniest most insignificant moments with Robin, the most innocuous little touches between them affect him so drastically? Every little time he heard Robin laugh, a smile rivaling the Joker's would spread across his face until his cheeks hurt. Every little accidental brush of Dick's foot against Wally's leg under the dining table made Wally jump away in panic, lest everyone figure out how badly he wanted Robin to continue touching him. The one time Robin's hand had unwittingly drifted along the side of Wally's arm had forced him to flee into the restroom to hide the blush on his face so red it matched his hair.

And how did it come to pass that Kid Flash, esteemed fighter, member of the elite Young Justice League team, world-famous flirt, and unapologetic sassmaster who was not afraid of anything just didn't have the strength in his heart to tell his closest friend how he felt? Wally West sat on his bed, awake, alone, ashamed, and afraid, drinking stolen scotch until at least one of those went away.

The fact that he was starting to feel the buzz was both surprising and concerning. But he indulged, and took another shot…

 _Gotta get out now, gotta run from this…_

This couldn't go on. Wally couldn't take it. As strong as Kid Flash claimed to be, he just didn't have the strength to do this every night. Or even one more night. He _had_ to tell Dick. He _had_ to take a chance. After pacing his room for what felt like hours—Wally was certain in his almost-drunken state that it was actually under a minute—he got up and walked down the hall to Robin's room.

 _I'm gonna live like tomorrow doesn't exist…_

Standing at the door sealed with his favorite "R" logo, Wally felt his heart pound so fast it sounded more like a continuous humming than a heartbeat. He felt the sweat on his palms, and on his forehead he could see it start to drip into his eyes. He hoped that the sweat on his face would hide the tears, but he was too stressed trying to talk himself into opening the door to think about that too much.

Fortunately, he didn't have to talk himself into opening the door.

Panicking when he heard the sound of the hydraulics getting ready to open the door, Wally turned down the hall, planning to feign a midnight snack run and praying that his friend—his _crush,_ however much it hurt to admit that—would walk with him.

Unfortunately, it wasn't Robin who had opened the door. Much to Wally's surprise, the face that greeted him was Artemis's.

"Oh my—Wally, you scared me to death!" the young archer said with a small jump.

"Really…?" Kid Flash gave her a look of distrust, and did his best to hide the slur in his words. "You don't usually scare so easy. I'm just getting a snack."

Artemis opened her mouth to say something in defense, but closed it quickly when he flashed her the _don't lie to me_ glare. "I was just…Robin and I were talking. I guess you came up," she admitted with a little guilty frown.

Immediately, Wally's stomach leaped a little when he heard that. His hopes sunk, however, when he realized the more likely reason for their discussion. "I'm sorry I kind of poofed after we kissed…I didn't mean to offend you, I was just…I don't know, I'm sorry," he said lamely.

"No, no, no, it wasn't about that," she told him with a small comforting smile. "At all. It was…you should talk to Rob—have you been drinking? You smell like your uncle at Christmas."

Every fiber of Wally's being screamed to deny it, but at this ungodly hour and in his current state, he didn't have the energy. "Guilty. I'm just really bummed about something…I won't bother you, I don't mean to whine about it."

"You always whine about it," Artemis said bluntly.

Wally grimaced at the truth of that statement. "Well, you're not wrong, but I'm not going to whine about this."

Artemis frowned suddenly and looked back into Robin's room, a room seemingly far too quiet given that Artemis had just left what was presumably a long conversation. "Maybe you can 'whine' to Robin. He's…bummed tonight, too. I was trying to ease his mind a little, but I suspect you might be better for him, if he hasn't fallen asleep yet."

 _But I'm holding on for dear life…_

The panic in his throat returned as the possibility of talking to Dick tonight became increasingly more real. "No, I'll let him sleep," he said quickly. "I'll just, uh, get my snack."

Artemis gave Kid Flash a shove just strong enough to topple the tipsy speedster into the wall. "Kid, we both know you're not here to get a snack. You would've zipped in and out of the kitchen before I could say 'Quidditch.' You've either been standing here or pacing. In either case, please talk to Robin? If not for you, then for him? Or for me, even if I'm not as 'real' of a crush as you'd like everyone to believe."

Wally could almost feel himself vibrating as his heart began to beat so fast that an ordinary person would shake. "Whoa, Artemis, that's not—I'm not—I don't want you to think—"

"Shh. Wally." Artemis put her hand on his mouth and gestured towards Robin's room. She didn't have to say anything more. Kid Flash had already started to walk in, as slowly as the speedster could step.

 _I'm just holding on for tonight…_

"Robin…" Wally whispered when he saw the outline of his bed. He heard Artemis close the door behind him and made a mental note to thank her for everything tomorrow. "Dick…?" he said softly, knowing now that no one would hear him.

Robin was lying in the corner of his bed facing the wall. Wally could see the curve of his shoulder blades under his red t-shirt, which was riding up just enough to see the little line in the middle of his back on the exposed patch of skin between his blanket and his shirt. Lately Kid Flash lived for those tiny exposed bits of skin.

Unfortunately, Robin neither moved nor responded.

"Rob…" Wally began cautiously, unsure of whether or not he actually wanted to wake the boy. "If you are awake, I…I guess there are a couple of things I wanted to talk to you about, and…well, Artemis…she kind of said you were bummed and maybe wanted to talk to me too, so…yeah, you're not awake are you? I guess I'll just…I'll see you in the morning. Sleep well, little bird…"

Wally had no idea why he let his private pet name for Robin pop out of his mouth, but he instantly regretted it. One more thing he'll have to chalk up to the amount of alcohol he had consumed tonight. He almost made matters worse when he tilted his head down to kiss the top of Robin's head, but even in his buzzed state, he was far too afraid to do anything like that. Admitting defeat for the night, and sinking into the feeling of relief by avoiding this conversation, the teenage hero stood up and headed back to his own room.

The gentle tickle of Robin's fingers along his own stopped him dead in his tracks.

"Wally…" Dick's voice was weak. Wally wasn't sure if it was fatigue or fear he heard, but he assumed fatigue since, to his knowledge, his friend was never afraid.

"Good morning sunshine," Wally teased, gently brushing Dick's dark hair out of his eyes as he rolled over. Sadly, his eyelids were closed, hiding the deep blue Wally adored. "You want to talk, or is sleepy Robin too sleepy?"

Dick turned towards Wally, but he refused to open his eyes, and as if he was trying to frustrate Wally, he pulled his blanket up higher, almost using it as a shield. "Just…" he said softly, his voice cracking ever so slightly. "Please, just tell me what you wanted to tell me."

 _Won't look down, won't open my eyes…_

Wally let a small laugh escape. "Why? What do you w—"

"KF," Dick said, stronger this time. "Please. Just…I have to know. Please?"

The choking feeling in his throat came back, and suddenly Wally didn't know what to do. Dare he tell Dick what he really wanted to say? If he didn't, could he go on living like this, living off scotch and crying into his pillow? For the first time in his life, Wally was grateful for all the alcohol in his system. It was thanks to the scotch that his mouth made the choice before his brain could do anything about it.

The simple fact was that as much strength as Wally needed to tell Dick how he felt, he knew that _not_ telling him would require a lot more. More than he had.

"I didn't really want to kiss Artemis tonight," he began, spitting it out in a slurred group of words before he could make a plan for what to say next. Fortunately, he didn't have to. Dick guided him.

"Well, who _did_ you want to kiss?"

Wally trembled. No; normal people trembled. Wally _vibrated._ In that moment, he realized Dick knew. He had probably always know, the detective he was, the perception that punk prided himself on. "Please," he pleaded. "Don't make me say."

And then he felt it. Briefly, softly, and suddenly. A cool, gentle press on his lips.

 _Swing from the chandelier…_

Wally opened his eyes. He hadn't even realized they'd been closed. In front of him were two eyes he knew well. Eyes he was one of the only people in the world to see. Two sparkling, mischievous, brilliant, and gorgeous blue eyes. He also saw the fear in those eyes, the panic, and the regret. But before Dick could even attempt to retract what he had just done, Wally spoke:

"You."

And with that, Wally gently brushed the tips of his fingers along Dick's face and leaned down to press his lips against his friend's. Before he could talk himself out of it, before he could even try to process what had just happened. His kissed Robin. His partner, his confidant, his best friend, his brother in arms. And Robin kissed back. Dick kissed back.

Wally had never felt so happy in his life. Until, that is, he pulled away and saw his friend's frightened face.

"Dick," he whispered, with as much confidence and comfort as he could muster. "What's wrong? I promise everything is going to be okay! Please, Rob, say something."

"I just…" he began uncertainly, looking away, unable to meet Wally's gaze. "Wally, I'm just so excited I don't know whether or not to believe this is real. I never thought…never, not in a million years that this would ever _actually_ happen. I…I wasn't even sure I actually wanted it to happen until I watched you kiss Artemis…I mean, I had hope when I'd kick you under the table and you'd jump and go all red, but I never _really_ believed…"

Wally felt himself "go all red" at the comment. "You did that on purpose?"

Dick gave a shameful nod as he, too, began to blush. "Guilty," he admitted, using Kid Flash's most recent one-word catch phrase.

"Dick," Wally said with a chuckle, trying to suppress the excitement, fear, surprise, and shear joy flooding his system with a laugh. "Do you have any idea how long I've wanted to…how long I've wanted to kiss you?" He couldn't help but hesitate at those words. He supposed he hadn't quite admitted the extent of his lust, even to himself yet.

Dick was shaking ever so slightly, not at all as violently as Wally's vibrations had been, but noticeable nevertheless. He shook his head slightly, trying to control the tremor as he spoke. "No, but…" He coughed, trying to clear the lump in his throat. " _I've_ wanted to since I came into your room that night…the night I told you everything…Hell, Wally, I've wanted to kiss you damn near since I shot you with a water gun…" The fear from this confession was starting to get to Dick, and Wally could see, for the second time, a single tear fall down his cheek.

Wally pulled Dick into the tightest hug he could give, and gently rubbed his friend's back, trying to comfort both of them and get some semblance of control over their adrenaline-flooded, trembling bodies. "Hey, it's going to be okay. All of this is okay. You don't have to freak out, Rob."

"Um, Wally…" he heard Dick whisper near his ear. "Have you, er, been drinking?"

Wally laughed again to fight the panic he felt. "I'm sorry, I just…liquid courage, you know? And, you know…if I still couldn't tell you, or if you hated me after, um…liquid pain-relief…"

This time it was Dick who let out a light laugh, a slightly choked version of the know-it-all smirky cackle Wally knew and loved. "Are you…?" He hesitated slightly, almost too scared to finish his famous question. "Are you whelmed? Are you whelmed that I don't hate you…at all?"

"Dick," Wally said, teasingly messing up the cute little bird's hair. "I am _over_ whelmed!"

Dick, feeling slightly more confident now, tugged on the front of Wally's yellow t-shirt and yanked him down into a hug. "What now?" he asked, still with a bit of hesitancy.

"Now," Wally replied as he sat up and sat cross-legged on the edge of Robin's bed. "I go back to my room, sober up, and try not ever to let Uncle Barry or Batman find out about this conversation."

Dick frowned. "Don't go…please?" The plea in his blue eyes was almost unbearable, impossible to deny if not for the fear of Batman.

Wally feigned horror, once again using laughter to suppress the adrenaline trying to take control of him. "Robin! Isn't it a little soon to be coercing me into bed with you?" Wally knew he was in trouble the moment he saw the smug little smirk he'd grown so accustomed to.

"True. However…" he said as he held out his arm, offering his best friend a yellow and red controller. "Even playing as Flash won't be enough for your hyped-up drunk ass to beat Batman."

Wally gave a tired, crooked smile and took the controller, plopping back down on the bed. "Are you sure? It's really late, and I am admittedly too drunk—buzzed—to remember what's on the schedule tomorrow…"

Dick smiled, and with brief moment of hesitation, rested his hand on top of Wally's and slid his fingers into the gaps. "I'm just not ready for you to leave yet," he admitted, reminding Wally how adorable he could be. Kid Flash found himself desperately hoping that this would not be the last night he would spend in Robin's bedroom.

As good fortune would have it, Dick Grayson found himself desperately wishing that this would not be the last night he would spend with Wally West in his bed.

Meanwhile, as poor fortune would have it, Bruce Wayne found himself desperately wishing, as he glanced at the security monitor while sipping a late night cup of tea, that he had never known about the night Kid Flash had spent in the Boy Wonder's bedroom.


End file.
